More Iraq
It just keeps getting worse for those poor fuckers. The UN released a report basically saying that the country is a shithole governed by a despotic regime propped up by a foreign power. And of course, the Iraqi government denied it, since they aren't going to admit they're despotic and also incompetent. In reading through the report, I noticed a couple of interesting sections.
On page 3 (the summary), the report states that they were not given access to death statistics from the Ministry of Health. The excuse given was that "UNAMI used the mortality figures in an inappropriate fashion" i.e. reporting them.
Nearly two million people have been forced to flee their homes and become refugees elsewhere in Iraq, and another two million are refugees outside Iraq.
"UNAMI continued to receive reports of possible collusion between armed militia and Iraqi Special Forces in raids and security operations, as well as reports of the failure of these forces to intervene to prevent kidnapping and murder and other crimes."
"UNAMI was also investigating an incident in the village of al-Zarka in the governorate of Najaf on 28 January, in which over 260 people were reportedly killed. Armed clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and followers of a Shi’a group calling itself the Soldiers of Heaven (Jund al-Sama’), followed by aerial bombardment by MNF forces which were called in to provide air support. Several hundred people said to be followers of the Soldiers of Heaven were also rounded up and detained. Their fate and current whereabouts remained unknown [bold mine]." This is just a single example of incidents that happen all the time. You never hear about it, however, since it is after all the Americans who are doing the killing, and we don't kill any innocent people, right?
Another interesting point is that the Kurds, who have been held up by the US media as exemplary "Iraqis," are actually extremely thuggish, at least the government. Journalists are routinely arrested, minorities are harassed and detained, and a general air of secret-police-ism exists.
The most sobering facts, however, come from the "Humanitarian situation" section. Four million people are at severe risk of starvation, and acute malnutrition rose from 4.4% to 9% from 2003 to 2005. It has assumably gotten worse since then. Keep in mind that during the UN sanctions regime (which ended with the invasion in 2003), over 600,000 children died as a result of malnutrition, and the situation has become almost twice as bad since then. Only 32% of Iraqis have access to safe drinking water, 60% are unemployed, and nearly a third of Iraq's doctors have left the country because of the situation.
The situation is downright criminal, but of course we will never have any accounting of those responsible for the mess. Everyone will get away, and in 30 years we will look back on Iraq (as we do with Vietnam today) and ask how the Iraqis could be so cruel as to injure our country as they did.
On page 3 (the summary), the report states that they were not given access to death statistics from the Ministry of Health. The excuse given was that "UNAMI used the mortality figures in an inappropriate fashion" i.e. reporting them.
Nearly two million people have been forced to flee their homes and become refugees elsewhere in Iraq, and another two million are refugees outside Iraq.
"UNAMI continued to receive reports of possible collusion between armed militia and Iraqi Special Forces in raids and security operations, as well as reports of the failure of these forces to intervene to prevent kidnapping and murder and other crimes."
"UNAMI was also investigating an incident in the village of al-Zarka in the governorate of Najaf on 28 January, in which over 260 people were reportedly killed. Armed clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and followers of a Shi’a group calling itself the Soldiers of Heaven (Jund al-Sama’), followed by aerial bombardment by MNF forces which were called in to provide air support. Several hundred people said to be followers of the Soldiers of Heaven were also rounded up and detained. Their fate and current whereabouts remained unknown [bold mine]." This is just a single example of incidents that happen all the time. You never hear about it, however, since it is after all the Americans who are doing the killing, and we don't kill any innocent people, right?
Another interesting point is that the Kurds, who have been held up by the US media as exemplary "Iraqis," are actually extremely thuggish, at least the government. Journalists are routinely arrested, minorities are harassed and detained, and a general air of secret-police-ism exists.
The most sobering facts, however, come from the "Humanitarian situation" section. Four million people are at severe risk of starvation, and acute malnutrition rose from 4.4% to 9% from 2003 to 2005. It has assumably gotten worse since then. Keep in mind that during the UN sanctions regime (which ended with the invasion in 2003), over 600,000 children died as a result of malnutrition, and the situation has become almost twice as bad since then. Only 32% of Iraqis have access to safe drinking water, 60% are unemployed, and nearly a third of Iraq's doctors have left the country because of the situation.
The situation is downright criminal, but of course we will never have any accounting of those responsible for the mess. Everyone will get away, and in 30 years we will look back on Iraq (as we do with Vietnam today) and ask how the Iraqis could be so cruel as to injure our country as they did.
posted by Jimmy at 2:32 PM
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